


12 days, 288 hours, 17,296 minutes

by ViciousBunny



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec lightwood centric, Based off of the new Malec content, I dont know how to tag, Immortal Boyfriends, Implied Sexual Content, Lilith - Freeform, M/M, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood-centric, Maybe - Freeform, No Smut, Painful information gathering more like, Slight torture?, Theres no tag for Jace Herondale, edom, i'm going to stop tagging now, just kisses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-21
Updated: 2018-03-20
Packaged: 2019-03-22 05:43:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13757499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ViciousBunny/pseuds/ViciousBunny
Summary: It had been a week. 7 days. 168 hours. 10,085 minutes. Since the last time Alec saw Magnus.AkaMy Mixed up brains story of what happens while Magnus is in Edom (with a lot of changes from what I am sure the show will do). Centered on Alec I'm horrible at summaries...just give it a try. And if you have a suggestion for a better summary feel free to help a homosapian out!Small note. I decided not to post a 3rd chapter as I like leaving this open ended. Sorry for all those who have waited. I Just couldn't make a 3rd chapter work so felt it was better to end it like this 😊





	1. 12 days, 288 hours, 17,296 minutes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sound of screams still reverberated in his ears and every time he closed his eyes he felt the heat, like small flames licking over his skin. Alec knew this mission was necessary but it didn't mean he had to like it.It had been a week. 7 days. 168 hours. 10,085 minutes. Since the last time Alec saw Magnus.
> 
> AKA 
> 
> My messed up little brains story of Magnus being in Edom (with a lot of changes from what im sure the show will do). Alec centered. Please read authors notes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be a short little oneshot (inspired from all the new Malec content) that has now taken on a life of its own and morphed into a very long (probably) 2 shot. I havent written anything (other than a text or email) since 2011 so please bear with me as I find my feet again. I'm not 100% happy with this (could flow much better) but I decided to dust off my laptop and give it a go so here I am rust and all for the first time in 7 years. Please be kind as my tiny black heart can't take too much. *Trigger warning* for use of a homophobic slur once. Text in all Italics are flashbacks. I don't own the Characters, just wish I did. NICE constructive critisism is appreciated *Takes nervous deep breath and posts first chapter*  
> See ending notes.

The sound of screams still reverberated in his ears and every time he closed his eyes he felt the heat, like small flames licking over his skin. Alec knew this mission was necessary but it didn't mean he had to like it. The only thing holding him together was the now familiar soft hum of energy he felt in his chest and the odd tingling sensation that swept through his body. While the sensation was new, it wasn't so unlike all the times he’s had Magnus’ magic rolling over his body, healing him, grounding him. The new rune ,that was drawn across his heart, felt warm and pulsed. It was one of a pair. Another reason he knew this mission was essential, because the Angel sent this rune to Clary. This rune that was only for them. They had no clue what would happen when they had drawn them on each other, the Angel never gave much in the way of what the runes did when he sent them to Clary, but it was much more than expected. 

 

Magnus and everyone else had been pouring over his books looking for a way to tether him to earth so that he'd be able to find his way back from Edom. Alec knew when lilith showed up that things were going to go from bad to worse but he never imagined that the only solution would be for Magnus to travel to Edom so that he could find and bring back the ingredients he needed to perform a spell to send her back to hell and keep her trapped there. Alec insisted that he go as well but once Magnus explained that his presence in Edom would be like a beacon to the demons there and only put them in more danger did he relent. 

 

_“But what about you? It's your father's realm and we both know that he wants you, Magnus. I can't- I won’t lose you again.” Magnus moved closer then and gripped Alec’s hands tightly._

 

_“I'll be fine, Alexander. Unless someone summons him or I call on him while I'm there he won't be able to leave his castle. I took care of that a couple centuries ago. He's too strong for me to fully contain but I performed a spell much like the one I need to do to send Lilith back the last time I had the displeasure of dealing with him. I will, however, need an anchor to here. He's powerful and if I don't have one there is every possibility he could get me to come to the castle and keep me there. We need to focus on finding that. Remember what you said to me? We always find our way back to each other, darling, and this time is no exception.”_

Later that day, Clary had jumped up from the table and grabbed two pieces of paper and quickly started sketching out two runes no one had seen before. 

 

_“You guys! I think this will do what you need.” She said and laid the papers next to each other on the table._

 

_“Uh, Clary...I don’t know if you know this or not but, Magnus can’t use runes. It would kill him.” Simon told her and she rolled her eyes at him._

 

_“I do know that, Si, but these are different. One goes on Magnus and the other on Alec. It should tie you two together so that Magnus will be able to make it back. I don't think it will work on anyone but you two.” She told them._

 

It had been a week. 7 days. 168 hours. 10,085 minutes. Since the last time Alec saw him. He knew that time in Edom moved differently than it did here but if it weren't for the fact that they were connected he would have burned down anyone and everything to find Magnus already. His heart rate spiked as he thought about anything happening to Magnus and the lamp on his desk shattered, blue sparks emitting from his clenched hands. He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths as he waited for the buzzing in his veins to die down so he could focus on containing it. That had been one of the side effects of the rune. Surprising to everyone. The night they had placed the runes on each other, the night before Magnus was supposed to leave, they were getting ready for bed and Magnus had brought up what would happen if he didn't make it back and Alec had blown every bulb in their loft and shattered anything made of glass in a ten foot radius. Magnus had stopped speaking and stood there staring at Alec, confusion flitted across his face before a look of astonishment took over. 

 

_“Wh-what just happened? Did you do that?” Alec had asked as Magnus was walking slowly over to him._

_“Alexander...that wasn't me, darling. Look at your hands.” Magnus had said gently and when Alec looked down his eyes widened._

 

_“What...How!? Magnus, how is this possible!?” Alec panicked and the street lights outside of the loft flickered and popped making the already dark room, darker, now only illuminated by the far off lights of the city and the moon._

 

_“Alec...take a deep breath, you need to calm down.” His boyfriend told him closing the space between them. Magnus could feel his shadowhunter getting even more worked up, his breath coming out in harsh pants, and his hands a swirl of blue magic. Magnus did the only thing he could think of, he grabbed the other man's face and smashed their lips together. Alec sucked in a deep breath at the unexpected move before moving his lips against Magnus’. When Magnus pulled back Alec raised an eyebrow at him, knowing that Magnus could see him just fine in the dark. “You were panicking so I distracted your mind to help you calm down. I could feel you freaking out...we didn’t know what this rune would do but it seems it really did tie us together, which could mean-”_

 

He was brought out of his thoughts by a knock on the door and Jace walking in. 

 

“Alec, you okay?” 

 

“You’ve asked me that everyday since Magnus left and every day I tell you the same thing, Jace.” He replied. 

 

“Yeah, I know. I’m just worried about you, Alec. About both of you. What happens to you if he doesn’t-” The lights flickered and the fireplace started blazing before Jace could finish what he was saying. He held his hands up in front of himself in surrender. “Sorry. How’s that going anyways? I know you’ve been seeing Caterina everyday lately. I can’t believe you have magic now. You gotta admit it's pretty cool.” 

 

“It’s going as well as it can considering. I never realized how much control was needed to keep it in check. I also understand why Magnus uses magic for things as simple as making a drink. I feel like if I don’t use it in some way, that it’s going to just...flow out and do what it wants. At least I’m not randomly shooting magic everywhere now.” Jace nodded.

 

“I’m on patrol in 20 but I just wanted to check in. I’ll come see you when I’m back if you haven't already left.” He said and then was gone. 

 

He closed his eyes and focused on the thread that connected him to Magnus, just to make sure he could still feel him, it was something he found himself doing a lot lately. As soon as he stepped into Edom Alec noticed he couldn’t feel Magnus like he had before and when he brought it up with Catarina she thought it was because he was in a different dimension, that their connection was stretched from being separated by different realms. It eased his mind to hear it but only just. They weren't sure if this rune was permanent and if it did burn out before Magnus was able to get back...Alec shook those thoughts away, he couldn't afford to keep replacing lights and had already used every plausible excuse to the other shadowhunters for why the lights kept going out or flickering. After he and Magnus had discovered just what Clary meant by the fact they they would be tied together Magnus had postponed leaving for another day so that they could try to get Alec's newfound abilities undercontrol. 

 

_“Alright, darling. I need you to close your eyes. Focus on the feeling of my magic inside you and grab onto it. Picture putting up a wall between yourself and it. You need to contain it, keep it locked up and learn to only let it out when you want it to. Magic that isn't redirected towards a purpose is dangerous. It's going to take a lot of concentration on your part in the beginning because you aren't used to constantly holding it back. Good.” Magnus praised when he saw the sparks that were coming from his fingertips die down. “Now I want you to try something simple. I want you to conjure your Seraph blade. Picture in your mind where it is. It’s on the weapons rack by the front door, just behind you, so just picture that and then picture it in your hand.” Alec furrowed his brow and tried to do what Magnus had said but it didn’t work. “Remember the way it feels when it’s in your hand. The weight of it, how the adamas warms in your hand.” Magnus told him and then he could feel it. He opened his eyes and there it was, lit up in his grip but instead of the runes being lit with white light it was pulsing between red and white._

 

_“Why’s it doing that? Am I doing that?” He asked as he inspected it closer._

 

_“Ah. That would be because of me. You know who my father is, that he’s a fallen angel…” Magnus trailed off but Alec put the pieces together and gasped. “ Let me see it for a second.” Alec handed it over and flickered between the two colors like it had in Alec’s hand before it lit a brilliant red in his grasp. “While most downworlders cannot use angel blades, those few that were fathered by fallen angels can. We just don’t advertise it and with good reason.”_

 

_“I can see why. The clave would have a field day if they knew.”_

 

_“Exactly.” He said and handed it back to Alec. “Now, I want you to put it back. Just do the opposite of what you did to bring it to yourself. Picture putting it back, it leaving your hand and sitting back in its place.” He did what he was told and after a few minutes felt the weight leave his hand and heard it clatter on the floor by the front door. Magnus looked behind Alec, from where he was seated on the coffee table, and smiled. “Missed by a hair, but that was excellent, darling.”_

 

_“I was thinking, If I can use your magic, do you think you can use my runes? Like, if I activated them do you think you’d feel the effects?” He questioned._

 

_“In theory, I’d say yes since this connection goes both ways. Why don’t we try it?” Alec pulled out his Stele, pulled his shirt up and smirked as he activated his stamina rune. Magnus closed his eyes briefly and then gasped. “That’s better than 20 cups of coffee. I think we could have some fun with this development at a later date, Alexander.” Magnus practically purred and Alec’s breath hitched a flash of arousal spreading through his body at the implication.”Oh...and that too.” Magnus said and shook himself._

 

Their connection seemed to be similar to the Parabatai bond but more intense. After Magnus had pushed what Alec was feeling to the back of his mind so they didn't get distracted he found that in order to feel him again he had to focus on the connection they shared and bring it to the forefront of his mind. It was jarring at first. Having a connection like that to anyone except for Jace but now, Alec couldn’t imagine not feeling Magnus. It was like something that had been missing was finally back where it belonged. 

 

Alec worried that because he couldn't feel Magnus’ emotions that if anything were to happen to him, he'd be too late to save him. He'd been activating different runes that he and Magnus had talked about that might be helpful to the warlock since his magic drained quickly when he was in Edom. He just hoped it was helping and that Magnus would return soon. He felt useless. The institute was still running, demons to fight, missions to go on, but he still felt he wasn't doing enough. He felt Magnus’ absence like a lost limb. He never realized how much he truly relied on the other man until now. His world had crashed and burned when they had fought about the soul sword but at least he knew Magnus was in New York and safe...well relatively safe. This was a different feeling and one he'd be happy to never feel again. 

 

He glanced at the clock and realized he'd been sitting in his office stuck inside his head for the last 2 hours and sighed. He grabbed the stack of reports he needed to go through and made a portal, ending up in the loft. Alec dropped the files on the coffee table and took his bow and quiver off of his back and held them tightly in each hand, concentrating on sending them to their place beside the front door. When they left his hands he looked over and there they sat right where he wanted them to go, a small smile spread on his lips. The more he practiced the less time it took and the easier it got, but that just meant that it didn't take him 5 minutes to move something 15 feet, anymore. It just showed him how hard Magnus has worked in his life to be able to do what he calls the ‘simple things’ so quickly and easily, like he barely has to think about it. 

 

That first time he summoned his blade and sent it back was nothing short of beginners luck because the next time he tried it took him 8 minutes and yes, he counted. Catarina had been a huge help even going as far as teaching him some things he could use in an emergency. He wasn't great at it, his movements didn't have the same graceful flow that he had seen of Magnus’, but knew if he practiced he might be able to at least defend himself if he lost his weapons. He practiced as much as his body and schedule would allow. If he was going to have this magic inside himself then he needed to know how to control it and how to use it safely. Magnus had told him that countless times when he was trying to give Alec a crash course in magic before he left. 

 

_“I know this is all really weird, it is to me too, but I need to teach you as much as I can about controlling this new part of you. Right now you are like a young warlock who has no clue what to do but you also have a centuries old Warlocks power running through your body. That could be a recipe for disaster if we aren't careful. Some magic is instinctive and easy to use, all it takes is basically willing something to happen but a lot of it needs more discipline, concentration, and precise movements. You need to make sure your thoughts stay in check because one errant angry thought can turn into the magic lashing out at the person you were thinking about. It takes a lot of practice to learn when you should and when you shouldn't let your magic loose, and you never want to completely drop that wall between you and it. We both know that when my emotions run high sometimes I destroy things. When I feel that push coming at me I redirect it at something else so no one will be hurt. It took me years to learn that control, to recognize the feeling and make sure I release it in way that won't harm anyone.”_

 

_“And here I thought being a shadowhunter was complicated and difficult.” Alec mumbled while running a hand through his hair._

 

_“I don't doubt that it is. You've gone through years upon years of training, runes studies, etcetera, in order to hone your powers and skills. It's the same with Warlocks, you are just new to it so it seems far more daunting than it is. If I asked you what runes you would need if you were walking into a demon nest you wouldn't even have to think about it anymore, you'd just know. All those years of hard work has made it so you don't second guess yourself, it's instinct and muscle memory now, and it's the same for Warlocks. I'm sure you made mistakes while you were learning and I'm sure you'll make them now but that's fine because you learn from them and then you know the right way to do it. We just need to make sure that you learn to use it safely.” Alec nodded and furrowed his brow._

 

_“I think I need to apologize to you. I never knew it took this much work to do something as simple as keeping it contained inside. I'm like a walking fireworks display right now. There's a certain level of control needed to use runes but-" Alec shook his head._

 

_“I, honestly, think you may have gotten the short end of the stick on this one, Alexander. I can't draw runes on myself but reap all the benefits of you using yours. I don't doubt that if I had to have a crash course in runes, that I'd mess up. I know a lot about shadowhunters but that's only because I've been around so many over my very long life. If I were like you, and just had this thrust onto me, I'd most likely be having a nervous breakdown right about now.” Magnus told him and reached out to place his hand over the shadowhunters, giving it a reassuring squeeze._

 

Alec fell back on the couch and picked up the first report he should have read earlier. He needed to focus. Magnus was doing all he could to send Lilith back and Alec needed to do his job of finding her. She'd been suspiciously quiet lately and it was never a good thing when the big bad was nowhere to be found. They had spoted Jonathan here and there but everytime they had gotten close to catching him he slipped through their fingers. Alec had shadowhunters and downworlders spreading the word to report anything they heard in regards to the mother of demons, or Jonathan Morgenstern, he just hoped they found them soon. 

 

The hours passed slowly as he made his way through report after report and his eyes had started to blur. He dropped the latest repot with a 'thunk' and leaned back onto the couch. Nothing. Not a single person had any useful information and the reports of the regular missions were as boring as always. He looked around the loft and took in all the changes that Magnus had made for his benefit. It made his heart jump in his chest at how Magnus had never made a big deal about them. The weapons rack, the coffee machine, the new dresser...a training room that had appeared after a rough night were Alec had woken up and restlessly paced the living room. He had mentioned to Magnus _once_ that sometimes when he was trying to work through something in his head physical activity helped him and the next time Alec had spent the night and was found pacing the floor in the living room Magnus had wordlessly taken him into the new room, kissed him, and went back to bed. These changes may not seem like a big deal to most but to Alec, they meant the world. Having enough of reading reports for the night Alec stood and headed towards the bedroom but stopped at the unfurnished room that Magnus used for summonings. It was the same room where Alec had held the mans hand for the first time. It was the same room they had used to open the portal to Edom. 

 

_“You’re going to make it back.” Alec told Magnus, firmly gripping the lapels of his jacket. He felt as if he were breaking apart at the seams._

 

_“Why wouldn't I? Look what I have waiting for me.” Magnus replied and cupped the side of his face. Alec leaned into the touch and brought his forehead to rest against Magnus’. “I'll see you soon, darling. I promise. I love you, Alexander.”_

 

_“I love you too. **Please** , be careful.” Alec brought their lips together in a soft barely there kiss before he stepped away slightly to look at Magnus again, memorizing everything he could in that moment. _

 

_He could hear Catarina chanting behind him and the room was bathed in a red glow as portal opened, horrendous screams and shrieks vibrated around them, and heat blasted through the room making it hard to breath. He turned towards the source as Magnus took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, a small reassuring smile on his lips as they walked closer._

 

_“It'll be fine. **I'll** be fine.” His boyfriend told him again and stepped back and into the portal. As soon as he disappeared it closed and Alec’s heart lurched. _

 

He had asked Magnus once, what his biggest fear was, he had thought at the time that his biggest fear was losing Izzy, Jace, or max, and while that's still true, he realized that day as he watched Magnus disappear through the portal that losing Magnus was now at the very top of the list. He wasn't lying when he told the warlock that he didn't think he could live without him and all of this just proved it to him even more. 

 

He opened the door to their room and his eyes scanned over everything quickly. The bedroom looked exactly as it had when Magnus left. Alec couldn't bring himself to clean up or move anything. He threw himself down on the bed and buried his face in Magnus’ pillow, taking a deep breath of his sandalwood, burnt sugar, and vanilla scent. He rolled over and groaned, he still had his gear and boots on so he brought his hand up and snapped his fingers like he's seen Magnus do countless times while concentrating on his boots, wanting them to be place by the front door. 

 

_“Try making your jacket appear in the closet. Just think about it being off of your body and hanging in the closet.” Magnus coached. All Alec ended up doing was burning a hole into the back of it.. while it was still on him. Magnus chuckled softly and fixed it for him before saying, “Try again. Think about how I do it.”_

It took him burning his jacket 4 more times before he got it in the closet. It didn't end up on a hanger but in a crumpled heap on the floor regardless, Alec still felt slightly proud of himself for getting that far. He snapped again and was left in his boxers, he hoped like hell his clothes were on the floor and not who knows where and on fire but he was too tired to get back up and check. He looked down and gently traced the rune on his chest. Alec closed his eyes and let the glamor he was taught to put up, fall. When he looked back down the rune swirled and shimmered, black, red, and gold. The closest way he could describe the look of it was a mixture of the infinity symbol, parabatai rune, and what he had later learned was a demonic rune, _tenetur in unum_ , Magnus had said. A binding rune. 

 

They had chosen to mark each other in private and to say they were both nervous would be an understatement. They discussed using it as a last resort because of the fact that they had no idea what it would do and tried to find a spell or something that would work instead but came up empty handed in the end. 

 

_They stood in Magnus’ bedroom, door closed, wards up around the building, just in case. Magnus had Jace’s stele in hand and was twirling it through his fingers much like Jace did when he was bored but Alec knew on Magnus it was a nervous gesture. They were both shirtless and facing each other, Alec had his stele held tightly in his hand. Clary had told them they each needed to draw certain parts of the rune on each other, both would draw half of the infinity symbol, alec would draw the angelic portion and Magnus the demon. They had fought about who's they would do first, both wanting to protect the other if anything were to go wrong but in the end Alec had won. They needed to draw it on simultaneously and had practiced earlier on paper to make sure they could do it and after the first few awkward times they figured it out._

 

_Magnus placed his left hand on gently on Alec’s chest and sucked in a breath. “ If you don't want to do this, we can try to find another way.” They had been saying that to each other all day. Alec was sure that even the possibility of this working was worth it. He brought his hand up and set it on top of Magnus’._

 

_“We've been over this all day, Magnus. I want to do this. I want to do everything possible to make sure you come back to me. Is this a risk? Definitely. Am I willing to not do this because of that? No. I'd do anything for you, just as I know you'd do the same for me. Whatever happens, we'll deal with it together.” Alec said confidently._

 

_“Alright. Alright.” Magnus blew out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. “Let's do this.”_

_They brought the stele’s up and began drawing it together. It burned just as any newly drawn rune did but Alec didn't feel any differently. Magnus watched the rune sink into the skin and turn black before he looked at Alec. The man's face was pinched in confusion, but before he could ask why Alec spoke._

 

_“I feel fine but...I think we need to finish it before anything else happens. Ready?” He asked and Magnus nodded silently._

 

_They did the same thing on Magnus’ chest and for a second after it was done nothing happened, but then the runes flared, glowing bright gold and then pulsed black and red. The watched each others chest, eyes widening as they watched the colors swirl together in a vortex of gold, red, and black. It pulsed once more and they both gasped and doubled over as the Connection snapped in place, leaving them hunched over and breathless. And then it was over, settling into them with a warmth that spread through their bodies and made itself at home._

 

Alec woke gasping and covered in sweat, hands clutched around Magnus’ pillow. He didn't remember falling asleep but with how exhausted he was it didn't surprise him. He didn't have to look at his hands to know that blue light danced across them, he pulled at the wall that kept it in, reinforcing it in his mind, and then leaped out of the bed. He sucked in a ragged breath as pain laced through his thigh but when he looked down he saw nothing, it felt like someone had sliced his leg open, he could even feel blood dripping from the wound, he hissed and grabbed his stele, activating his iratze, amissio, and stamina rune. It helped but the invisible wound felt like it was healing too slowly so he sat on the edge of the bed and brought his hand over it in swirl of movement before snapping and helping along the healing. His heart was still pounding. Before he woke up, he saw brief flashes of Magnus, Seraph blade in hand, slashing at a raum demon, he managed to avoid getting caught by the demons poisonous tentacles but was caught by a clawed foot that sliced his thigh open as he killed it, and then he slumped to the ground, exhausted and in pain.

 

_Alec walked closer to Magnus as he was preparing to leave and grabbed his extra thigh holster and blade off of the dresser before kneeling down in front of his boyfriend, making him halt his movements. He brought the leather around his left thigh and started buckling it in place. Magnus said nothing, just raised an eyebrow in question. He finished settling it into place and grabbed the blade from where he had set it and slid it in the holster._

 

_“Take this with you. I need to know you have a way to protect yourself if your magic isn't working properly. Just in case.” He had said. He placed a gentle kiss on the middle strap before he stood and left Magnus to finish preparing._

 

After his leg finally felt better and Alec sent a quiet prayer up to the angel hoping that it had healed on Magnus, he thought about this new development. It was...unsettling and had the potential to be dangerous. Alec got hurt a lot in his line of work and if Magnus felt when he did, or Alec felt Magnus get hurt in the middle of a fight, that wasn't going to be good. He fell back on the bed, palms sweaty and itching as the magic tried breaking free again. What had they gotten themselves into? The thought of anything happening to Magnus because Alec was injured set his teeth on edge. That...was bad. Very bad.

Not being able to get back to sleep, thanks to the fear coursing through his body and activating his stamina rune, he took a quick shower to wash the sweat from his body and headed back to the institute. He poured over the monitors in the opscenter, looking for anything out of the ordinary when it picked up on something. The alarm blared and Alec tapped the screen to bring up the video feed they had set up in central park, where the alert was coming from, his breath hitched and he grabbed the nearest shadowhunter and told him to tell, Izzy, Jace, and Clary to meet him in the weapons room quickly and ran in that direction. 

 

He grabbed a blade and shoved it into his holster and filled his quiver before the three he had asked for came running in and geared up. He filled them in on the situation before creating a portal to take them to central park. They had to be quick. Shax demons skittered along the ground and came towards them as soon as they were there, circling them. Alec heard the slash of Izzy’s whip, and the clang of Jace and Clarys seraph blades as he pulled his bow out and whispered a spell as he nocked an arrow and shot it. The arrow glowed blue as it was propelled through demon after demon, cutting a path through the chaos and- He heard a pain filled grunt as it found its intended target. 

 

Alec quickly put his bow back on his back, grabbed his blade, and trounced any demon that got in his way as he rushed toward the body laying on the ground. He hoped like hell that the spell held until he got there. It had been one that Catarina figured out how to modify for him to use with his bow. Until Magnus was back and they figured out if this was permanent they thought it best to keep it under wraps as much as possible. If people thought that Magnus had spelled his arrows that was fine but anyone seeing the shadowhunter do magic could cause them a world of complications and pain. Standing over the prone body laying at his feet he smirked. The man's black body was convulsing as if he'd been electrocuted, the arrow embedded in the back of his knee pulsed with power as deep red blood oozed from the wound. 

 

“Jonathan Morgenstern, by order of the Clave, you are under arrest. You have information we need and YOU.WILL.TELL.US.” The others must have finished dispatching the demons and Isabelle and Jace each grabbed one of Jonathan's arms and drug him up from the ground before snapping Electrum cuffs around his wrists and dragging him through the portal Clary had made.

 

As they stepped into the institute, everyone stopped to stare as the 4 took their prisoner to the cells in the sub basement, Jace took him into the cells and strapped him down into the chair they had used for Valentine. 

 

“I won't tell you anything!” Jonathan spat before trying to pull his arms up like he was trying to break the bindings. It wouldn't work. Alec knew this because he could feel the magic that was used on them flair in response and tighten. Jonathan let out a yell of pain. 

 

“Where is Lilith hiding?” Alec demanded. 

 

“Fuck you, faggot!” Jace pulled his fist back face full of rage but Alec held up a hand to him. 

 

“Where is Lilith?” He demanded again. Jonathan just spat at his shoes. “Alright, if you don’t want to tell us-” Alec gestured two Shadowhunters forward. “Jonathan, I’d like you to meet Aline and Jia Penhallow, the real Sebastian Verlac’s family.” He said and turned towards the women. “Ladies, I want Lilith's location, do what you have to to get it.” He motioned for the others to follow him out of the room, the screams started before the elevator doors closed. 

 

*

 

Alec had to, grudgingly, hand it to Jonathan. He lasted 3 more days with the Penhallow women before he broke. They now knew where Lilith was hiding. Inquisitor Herondale came swooping in in all her imaginary glory and took Jonathan to Idris without even acknowledging the ones that had put in all the effort to find and get the information out of him. Alec didn’t want a pat on the back or a ‘good job’ from her but the rest deserved recognition for what they had done to help. 

 

After the Penhallows gave him the information he had gone with a team to make sure it was the truth and as soon as they closed in on the place Alec felt powerful magic cloaking the location and he knew they had found it. They retreated back to the institute where he called a meeting with the downworld counsel to let them know what had been going on and ask them to keep an eye on the location. Catarina came in Magnus’ place and Alec barely held it together when she sat in the seat Magnus usually occupied. Logically, he knew it was silly but emotionally he couldn’t help it. The last few days had worn him down. Everytime he slept, he got snippets of Magnus and then he’d be wide awake and wearing a hole into the carpet or his punching bag. _Thank the angel he’s so good._ Alec had thought as his mind was filled with the imagery from his latest ‘dreams’. He knew Magnus was amazing but seeing him, even briefly, fight his way through Edom, was an entirely different thing. In any other situation he'd admit that he found it immensely attractive, but with how frazzled his nerves were, he didn't even want to think about it. He’d seen Magnus use magic during fights and had sparred with him before but seeing what was practice versus the real thing was something else. 

 

_A cocky grin lit Magnus’ face as they circled each other in the training room._

 

_“No magic, Magnus.” Alec reminded._

 

_“Of course not, darling.” He replied, knowing but not taking offense that his boyfriend was underestimating him, before he rushed at Alec._

 

 _Alec ducked down and grabbed him around the waist kicking his feet out from under him in he process and they both landed on the ground with Alec on top of him. Alec quickly adjusted his hold to grab Magnus’ arm but when he did Magnus threw his head up, forehead connecting with Alec’s chin, knocking him off balance before rolling out from under him. The warlock spun around and quickly landed on Alecs back, pulling the shadowhunters arms from under him, holding them against his lower back, and pinned him to the ground on his stomach. Alec pushed his hips back against Magnus and rolled them over so that Magnus was trapped between his back and the mat below. Magnus tried to wiggle his legs out from under Ale'cs but couldn’t. He still had Alecs arms pinned to his back and held tight not wanting to give up so soon. The air was knocked from his lungs when Alec used his legs to push his body up before letting it fall back against Magnus’. When Magnus didn’t release his hold Alec went to do it again and Magnus quickly moved his legs and locked them around Alec’s waist and shifted his body, making them rock forward and then back slightly. Magnus used the momentum from the move and took Alecs body with him as he rolled backwards and ended up on Alecs back again. Alec rolled to the side and threw Magnus off, they both got up quickly and started circling each other once more._

 

_“You really shouldn’t underestimate your opponent, Alec.” Magnus told him, a sly grin spreading across his face. Alec returned it._

 

_“Okay.”_

 

_“Okay?” Magnus asked with a raised eyebrow._

 

_“Yeah. Let’s do this, Bane”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am terribly sorry for any formatting issues. I had a really hard time getting the hang of AO3. Back when I used to write fanfiction regularly I used FF.net so this was a whole different ball game for me. I'll try to get the hang of it before the next chapter (which I should have done some time soon). Hope you enjoyed at least a little bit and could get past my weird flow issues (I will work on that in the next chapter) and mistakes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SEASON 3 STARTS TONIGHT YOU GUYS!!!!!! Sorry for the delay in posting this! Life has decided I needed more to deal with than I was so things have been insane for me. Thank you all for the kudos! It warms my black heart to know people like this. Leave a comment if you feel like it. Comments make writers happy :) Oh yeah...I only own my idea's nothing else...sigh. Sorry for any mistakes. Ive got a killer headache and it was seriously difficult trying to edit this with my head pounding but I wanted to post it before the show tonight.

Alec's body was coiled in anticipation, sweat dripped down his hair and torso as he waited for the next attack. Alec closed his eyes and felt the warm tingle of magic spread down his arms before he opened them and his arms made a wide half circle in front of his body before snapping into the shape of an ‘x’ across his chest. He felt the magic that Catarina had pushed towards him hit and shatter against the translucent orange shield that now stood between them. He was breathing hard and exhaustion was finally creeping up on him. 

 

He was now regularly activating his Iratze and stamina runes which meant little to no sleep for him but as long as Magnus was safe, he’d be fine. Luckily, Magnus hadn't been seriously injured in the last few days, the small scenes he'd seen during what little sleep he had gotten, set his mind at ease and stressed him out all at the same time. 

 

The control he had been working on over... _his?_ magic was also getting better. He had been practicing a lot more after he had gotten angry at one of the new shadowhunters, he was running his mouth about downworlders and Alec blew all the power in the institute. It had been extremely hard to cover up but he managed with Izzy’s help. Cat had also been working on some more spells with him and ways for him to connect to the magic and let it flow through the movements instead of forcing it. She had told him he was too stiff and that was why they back fired or didn’t work at all but it seemed that once he was able to find the balance he needed it sort of just clicked in place. It still wasn’t easy but it was _easier_. 

 

 

They’d been at it for the better part of 2 hours and he understood now, more than ever, how Magnus kept so ridiculously fit. His entire body ached like he had just gotten done with a 6 hour training marathon. Muscles he hadn't even realized were there were throbbing. 

 

“Better.” She told him when he let the shield fall but then, before he could so much as blink, she was there, rushing quickly towards him and he had no weapon. He held his hand out the side and summoned one of the staves they had used earlier when she was teaching him how to fight with a weapon and magic at the same time and he spun down onto a knee, avoiding her arms, and tapped it against her neck when she got close enough. “Very good, Alec. That didn’t take you nearly as long as last time.” She praised. “How about we call it a day? It’s almost dinner time for Madzie and I’d rather she not conjure it herself.” 

 

“Sounds good. I should probably get back to the institute anyways. I want to- _Fuck!_ ” He yelled and doubled over as heat seared up his hand and arm. He dropped to his knees as Cat rushed over and gently pried his arm away from his body looking it over for injury. 

 

“Alec! What- what’s wrong!?” She asked frantically. 

 

“Magnus.” He hissed out gritting his teeth. It felt like it was still blazing but he could see nothing wrong with his arm. He tried to summoned his stele but couldn’t, he hadn’t quite mastered doing it without a significant amount of concentration yet and the pain was too much. “Stele.” He panted out and Cat held it out to him. He activated his Iratze and the pain slowed but didn't completely disappear.

 

“What about Magnus? Alec what’s going on?” Her hands hoovered over him but didn’t touch, worried she might cause him pain with his unseen injury.

 

“New development. Apparently when he gets badly hurt I can feel it. Just now it felt as if someone had stuck my arm in a volcano.” He told her still kneeling on the floor and taking deep breaths. He sighed when the pain eased a little bit more and activated a couple runes on his body before he stood. He waved his hand over his arm letting the cool magic sooth his unmarred skin. 

 

“That’s… well amazing but I've never heard of anything like this before. You ok now?” He nodded. She sighed as her phone rang and they both knew she needed to leave. She started to make her way to the door but stopped and threw a torn look in his direction but he waved her away and she finally rushed out of the training room at Magnus’.

 

 

He watched her leave and then shook out his arm and flexed it feeling the residual sting from whatever happened to Magnus. He pushed the thoughts of what could have happened out of his head and showered quickly. He stumbled slightly when he felt his exhaustion catch up to him again, he knew the stamina rune would only do so much with him being as tired as he was, and fell into the bed stark naked and passed out before he even had a chance to turn off the light. 

 

 _He wasn’t supposed to overhear the conversation that was currently going on in Magnus’ livingroom but he had woken up in the middle of the night to an empty bed and went to search for his boyfriend. He hadn’t meant to eavesdrop but when he heard the soft ‘snick’ of a portal closing and Jace and Caterina’s voices greeting Magnus, he couldn’t help but creep silently closer._

 

_“I will just get right to it since it’s so late. I know that neither of you want to hear this but Alec refuses to listen to me so I need to tell you guys. If anything happens to me...if I don’t- If I don’t make it back...I need you two to look after him. I need to know he’ll be okay if I’m not around. I also need you to tell him about the trunk in my closet, it will unlock for him only. It holds everything I want to happen in the event that I don’t come back. I’m not sure what would happen to Alexander if I died, but with this new connection, I’m terrified that it could be as bad as if you were to die, Jace. Maybe worse.” Alec could hear Magnus’ voice waver slightly before he cleared it. “This-”_

 

Groaning, Alec rolled over and blindly reached for his phone that was blaring on the bedside table. 

 

“Hello?” He answered voice rough with sleep. 

 

“Alec, it's Cat. I'm sorry if I woke you but I was speaking to an old friend about-.” a beep sounded in his ear signaling another call. He groaned again. 

 

“Hang on, someone's calling the other line.” He answered the other call quickly. “Lightwood.” He said in way of a greeting. 

 

“Alec, the institute's under attack! Raum and shax demons.” Said the frantic voice of Clary. He was up in an instant. He quickly snapped his clothes on, summoned his bow and made a portal before he ended the call. Adrenaline pumped through his body. A distant part of his mind realized that Catarina would probably be mad that he hung up on her but he knew she'd understand. 

 

As soon as he stepped through he saw chaos. He pulled his bow from his back and whispered a similar spell to the one he'd used on Jonathan and let go. He fired off shot after shot as he made his way through the room trying to find Izzy and Jace. He switched to his blade halfway through when he ran out of arrows and pressed on. He knew Jace was fine, he didn't feel anything other than excitement through their bond, but he needed to _see_ his parabatai and sister.

 

 

When he finally spotted them his heart stopped. He was too far away and there was a demon sneaking up behind them. He grabbed his bow and reached a hand back for an arrow when he remembered that he was out. _Fuck, I need arrows_ as soon as the thought crossed his mind his hand touched one and he wasted no time nocking it and releasing it between the eyes of the demon behind his siblings, he fired 2 more into the demons they were fighting and watched as Izzy and Jace used their distraction to slash through them, making them disappear. 

 

 

 _This magic thing really comes_ in handy Alec thought and let out a breath of relief that was quickly knocked out of his body as he was hit from the side by a raum demon. He heard more than felt his ribs crack as he landed on his back and his bow wrenched from his hand and slid out of reach. Grabbing his Seraph blade he quickly cut through the tentacles that were trying to grab him and brought his legs up, planting them in the demon's chest and pushed it off. He got to his feet and stabbed it through its chest before it could make a move sending icor and ash everywhere. As he quickly surveyed the area Alec saw a flash of gold out of the corner of his eye as Jace ran towards him and Alec instinctively crouched down back flat as Jace propelled himself off Alec's back and sliced through another demon that was a few feet behind behind Alec and closing in on Clary from behind. The pressure from the weight of Jace jumping off his back sent the air wheezing from his lungs and he struggled to regain his breath as he stood and cut through a shax demon that was skittering towards him. 

 

He didn't know how long they fought but when all the demons were gone, Alec slumped to the floor in the opscenter, back against one of the pillars, breathing heavily as sweat dripped from his forehead and into his eyes. A medic was crouched next to him, looking a bit worse off than he was, and working on Washburn. Now that the adrenalin from the fight was wearing off, he felt the pain in his ribs. He had definitely shattered a couple. He checked his pockets but couldn't find his stele and he coughed which made the pain intensify. His head was swimming and even if he could heal himself without being seen, he didn't think he'd have the concentration to do it. He pulled in a surprised breath when he felt a tug in his chest and then warmth spread through his ribs, tingling with that wonderfully familiar sensation of Magnus healing him. He looked around before he pulled up his shirt and watched as the gruesome black and purple bruising started to fade and his ribs expanded back into their original shape. Once his head stopped spinning he ducked into a small alcove before summoning his stele and activating his iratze and stamina runes. He let himself lean against the wall there for another minute before he pulled himself away and went to check on everyone and then began to try to figure out how this happened. 

 

He played back the security footage after calling Catarina and asking her to come help with the injured and checking that Izzy and Jace were alright. He couldn't figure out how all those demons breached their wards. On the video, one minute everything was normal and the next, boom! Demons everywhere. The wards were intact as far as he could tell, he could feel them humming along the walls, and while he wasn't the best with wards yet he didn't think they had been breached. 

 

 

 _“Focus, Alec. You can do this. Can you feel them humming around the building? It should feel like bees buzzing around in your head...focus on that, pull it up to the forefront of your mind and once you have open your eyes.” He did as Magnus had told him and he could see the walls shimmering with light blue, veins of brighter blue running through it. He reached out to touch it and it felt warm against his palm._

 

_“How have I not seen these before? Or the ones at the institute?”_

 

 _“Wards like these are meant for protection, the other ones, like you saw me throw up at Max’s rune ceremony party were to keep people in, the visibility of it a warning instead of a sneak attack. If that makes any sense. Wards have different purposes as I'm sure you know, different wards for different occasions.” Magnus shrugged and Alec nodded._

 

“I just don't get how this happened…I can't find a single reason why they were able to get in.” Alec muttered as he paced. Izzy, Jace, Clary, and Cat sitting in various spots around his office. 

 

“What if it was Lilith?” Clary asked and Alec rolled his eyes.

 

“That's a no brainer, Fray. Of course it was her but how.” Alec pushed his hands through his hair. He sent a fire message to Idris after the attack, explaining what they knew so far, which was a big fat nothing, and didn't really expect to hear anything from them. 

 

“It's possible that someone could have destroyed a spot in the wards but that would take a lot of power. Magnus has been reinforcing the wards here for close to 100 years. I can walk them and see if I see anything. I don't feel anything but that doesn't mean that it wasn't what happened. It might go faster with the both of us though and considering your magic is Magnus’ you might be able to feel if anything is off with them if you're closer.” Cat spoke up. 

 

“Alright. Jace I need you to keep an eye on the monitors, make sure we don't get invaded again until we can figure this out, Clary if you could go make sure the infirmary has everything it needs and check on everyone I'd appreciate it. Iz, do me a favor and call Luke and Raphael, let them know what happened and see if they've heard anything new, tell them I’ll call later after we’ve figured this out. I need a headcount done as well, list of the deceased, injured, and healthy. We'll be back soon but if you need me immediately just call.” Everyone nodded and set to their tasks as Cat pulled him from the room.

 

“Come on, Alec. The sooner we get this done the quicker we can figure this mess out and then have that conversation I was talking about earlier.” Cat said and dragged him from the room. “Did Magnus teach you how to see the wards?” She asked and he nodded, closed his eyes briefly, and brought the wards to the forefront of his mind. Frustration pulsed through him when it didn't work the first time but he took a deep breath and tried again. 

 

 _“How do you make all of this look so easy!?” Alec threw his hands up in frustration as he paced only to stop and clench his jaw as sparks rained down around him._

 

 

 _“Because I worked extremely hard to get where I am today and it is as easy as breathing for me to do most things now. Remember earlier when we talked about muscle memory? After a lot of practice and use my mind automatically slips into the mental state needed to access my magic without much concentration.” Alec huffed out a breath and sat on the couch._

 

 _“I get that. I do. It's just so-" He pinched his lips together before scrubbing a hand down his face, body going lax on the cushions. “ugh.” Magnus sat beside him and ran his fingers through the shadowhunters hair making him groan and lean into the touch_ . 

 

 _“Alexander, you are doing remarkably well. This is normal and as you learn, more things will become easier. No two Warlocks use magic the exact same way. We each have our different ways we use it that work for us and while this may be my magic, I don't doubt that some things that work for me will feel wrong for you. The basic concept is the same all around but magic is personal, it's a part of who you are and no two people are exactly the same so it makes sense that it would be...personalized. You don't use a bow or Seraph blade exactly as you were taught do you? You took the basis of what you learned and changed it to your own style, something that works for you and feels natural. This is exactly the same concept. Once you get used to the mindset needed, the type of layered concentration we've been speaking about, it'll be easier and easier to remember how to access it.” Magnus pulled Alec to lay against his side and wrapped an arm around his waist._

 

Alec stopped abruptly and pinched the bridge of his nose. The wards along the walls of the institute were bright and pulsing, giving him a slight headache. Aside from that he couldn't find anything wrong with them. He didn't know what he was looking for but Cat had said if anything was wrong with them, he'd know. He wasn't as confident as she was but said nothing. 

 

“Alec, it's ok. We'll figure this out.” She told him as she placed her hand on his shoulder. 

 

“It's not ok!” He spat and shook off her hand. “My home was attacked, my people injured and some killed, and I can't fix any of it! Magnus is still gone and everything has just been happening so fast. I have no idea what I'm doing and I'm supposed to be a leader! Lilith has caused so much chaos, taken so many lives, and I just-" Alec slid down the wall he had been facing before, all the anger leaving him like a violent wave crashing against a rock before settling, his head hanging low between his shoulders. “I'm _scared_ , Cat. I'm scared for my people, for the downworlders, and I am absolutely terrified that I'm going to lose Magnus. I am terrified of the fact that even with all this power I somehow have now that it won't be enough, that no matter what I do I won't be able to help anyone when it matters. That I'll let them all down.” He whispered. Cat crouched down in front of the shadowhunter that had stolen her closest friends heart and her face softened. 

 

“You don't need to carry all of this on your shoulders alone, Alec. You don't have to have all the answers to be a good leader, and you _are_ a good leader. Just look at what you've done already! You have brought shadowhunters and downworlders together, successfully, for the first time ever. Are there still those that oppose this? Yes and there always will be but you've shown unparalleled compassion for us and it's catching on. As for Magnus, I've never seen him love anyone the way he loves you. He's stubborn and will fight with everything he has to come back to you, Alec. And the power?...do you regret It? Do you regret tying yourself to Magnus? I know none of us had any clue as to what would happen and I know this is all so overwhelming to you but you've done an amazing job at keeping it together.” 

 

“I could never regret it. I would never take it back and if I had to do it again, I would. He's my future, my everything, and being connected to him like this? It's weird and overwhelming, as you said, but it's also filled an emptiness inside myself that I didn't realize was there. It's just taking a lot of time to get used to, time we don't have. I'm sorry. You didn't need me freaking out on you like that...” He sighed. His emotions had been all over the place since Magnus had left and it was just another thing he wasn't used to. Another thing that was out of his control. 

 

“It's ok. I kind of expected to happen sooner or later,honestly. I know you aren't the best with unexpected changes and you've had a lot of them lately. You have people around you that want to help, _so let them._ ” She grabbed his hands and pulled him to his feet. 

 

“Now, let's figure this out. The wards look fine but they had to of gotten in from somewhere so unless someone had...Alec, Magnus wards the entire perimeter right?” Alec furrowed his brow.

 

“Yeah, I'm pretty sure.” She nodded and ran back into the opscenter. He followed quickly wanting to be let in on what she just figured out. 

 

 

“Show me the footage from right before the attack and bring up a list of all the shadowhunters you have stationed here. I think I might know how they got in.” She told him and he did as she asked. They watched the footage a few times before she yelled. “There! Pause It! Do you recognize her?” She stepped back allowing Alec to get a closer look. 

 

“No...I've never seen her before and I know all the faces that work here. I have to as the head.” 

 

“She let them in. Whoever that is, shows up right before the demons do and look you can see her trying to leave.” She pointed at the petite brunette that was running to the institute doors.

 

“But how did she let them in? The wards were up.” 

 

“She summoned them here. The wards keep demons out, yes, but if you were to summon one when you were already in the building they would be moot. In other words they wouldn't have to pass through them so they wouldn't be killed. That's how these wards are set up. Think of it like a box around the institute, the wall keeps them out but if they were on the other side of the wall to begin with they wouldn't do anything unless they tried to pass through them. I never thought to put protections up against a summoning circle...” She muttered.

 

Alec made the picture of the woman bigger before sending out an alert to the institute asking that anyone who had seen her come speak to him and to be on the lookout for her. 

 

“I hate to tell you this but, we might not find her. Whoever that was could have been glamored…” Cat said staring at the picture. 

 

“Great. Just another thing to add to the ever growing list of shit we don't know.” He huffed “What can we do to make sure this doesn't happen again?” 

 

“I can add a layer of protection on the wards so that demonic rituals can't be performed here. I know they weren't in place before because Magnus summoned Azazel here. Outside on the patio but that portion of the institute is warded as well. Last time Magnus was here he brought stronger wards up so greater demons couldn't enter or leave like Azazel did. He was pretty pissed he broke through them.” She told him. 

 

“That sounds good. Thank you, Cat. When you are done, go see Montclair for payment,” He held up his hand when she opened her mouth to speak “You are doing a service for the institute so you deserve to be paid for it.” He said with finality and she nodded and walked away to get started. He knew what she was going to say, he'd had an extremely similar conversation with Magnus at one point. 

 

 _“Your my boyfriend, Alec. I don't expect to be paid for something I would have done anyways to keep you safe.”_

 

 _“Magnus, I love you but I won't let anyone take advantage of you, especially not the Clave. You reinforced the wards so you were paid for your services. There's a line between concerned, caring boyfriend and things the Clave has hired you for countless times in the past. I know you don't want to be paid for the times you've healed me and I get that but if it were any other shadowhunter, you'd be paid. Just because the head of the institute is dating the high warlock of Brooklyn, doesn't mean they get to take advantage.”_

 

 _“Alright, I see your point...so...dating the high Warlock of Brooklyn huh? How's that going?” Magnus said with an impish grin and slid his arms around Alec waist_ .

 

 _“Yes. It's pretty fantastic if I do say so myself.” He replied and brought their lips together in a slow unhurried kiss._

 

After a couple hours of getting the institute back in order, Alec collapsed in his old room. He was completely and utterly drained. Izzy had tried to get him to leave but after what happened earlier he just couldn't bring himself to. Cat had been equally as exhausted by the time she was done adding to the wards, so he brought her to a secluded area just outside of the building and conjured a portal for her. She gave him a tired smile and a small wave and then left. Alec closed his eyes and pulled at his and Magnus’ connection, relaxing when he felt him. It had been 11 days. 270 hours. 16,215 minutes since he had last seen Magnus. 

 

 _“Time moves a lot differently in Edom. I could very well be gone a longer amount of time here, but there it could feel shorter. If anything happens to me, I know you will come charging into Edom arrows blazing and that it's futile for me to ask you not to because I'd do the same but...If anything were to happen to me...I need to say that I don't want you in Edom, Alexander. If anything happened to me and you went to find me and died there, or got captured, even in death I'd never forgive myself.” Magnus’ right hand traced the rune on Alec’s chest before he placed a kiss on it._

 

 _“You're right, I'd break that promise a hundred times over and not even blink. Your only option is to come back to me safely. I lost you once, Magnus, and I have no intention of ever doing it again. You’ve heard what happens when a shadowhunter falls in love right? When we fall in love, it's forever. You're it for me.”_

 

 _“You're it for me too, Alexander. I never thought I'd find anything like this but I'm glad I was wrong.”_

 

Alec woke up to his head pounding and every muscle in his body sore. He felt a tug in his chest and brought a hand up to the rune there and rubbed it absentmindedly. He sent a quick text to Jace and Izzy when he realised he had no clothes or anything left at the institute, _when the hell did that happen?_ , and made a portal to the loft. As soon as he stepped through he had his bow in his hand and an arrow nocked. Something felt off in the loft. His skin crawled and gooseflesh broke out over his arms. He walked cautiously forward, eyes scanning and reached out with his senses, trying to find the unknown threat. He was suddenly thrown against the hall wall as a figure sauntered out of his and Magnus’ bedroom, he got to his feet quickly and brought his bow back up. He shot and it landed in the figures chest. 

 

“Now that wasn't very nice, nephilim.” She tutted as she pulled the arrow from her chest and twirled it in her hand. Thick black blood dripped slowly from the wound but she didn't even flinch when she had pulled the arrow free. 

 

“ _Lilith._ What do you want?” He hissed. 

 

“Ah. Straight to the point I see. Very well, I want my son.” 

 

“That will never happen.” Alec told her and slowly reached back to grab another arrow. 

 

“Tsk, tsk, shadowhunter. I wouldn't do that if I were you.” She made a motion with her hand and his right one was restrained against the wall near his side. “It wouldn't do anything but make me even angrier than I am now. _Where.is.my.son?_ ” She growled as she closed in on him. 

 

“I won't tell you.” She was so close now, if Alec could only grab his blade, he could- well he didn't know what exactly. He knew he wouldn't be able to kill her but maybe he could buy himself a little time to get out of the loft. He tried to summon it, but, nothing happened.

 

“Oh You will.” She told him and then his arrow, the one that she had been playing with, was shoved through his left shoulder and into the wall, effectively pinning him there. His bow clattered to the ground and his breath hissed through his teeth but he refused to scream. “Where. Is. He?” She leaned in and demanded again as she pulled the shaft of the arrow down, making him curse as it jarred the wound. He shook his head and said nothing. A maniacal grin spread across red lips as she trailed a hand from his neck to the center of his chest, almost a soft caress, but the pain came a second later and Alec grunted as he felt her nails bite into his skin before slicing down his chest. “TELL ME!” 

 

 

Alec took a deep breath and tried to conjured his blade from the holster on his right thigh again, as soon as it was in his grip, it flared to life and he used everything in him to push it through her chest with his left hand and pulled it down, slicing her to her belly button. He grunted as the arrow that held him to the wall pulled against his shoulder but he ignored the pain as best he could. She shrieked and took a few steps back. “You've just made a big mistake. This isn't over, nephilim.” She panted and tried to hold her chest together as she stepped through a portal Alec hadn't noticed before.

 

 

As soon as it snapped closed his right hand was released and he sagged slightly before the pain in his shoulder reminded him he was still pinned to the wall. He couldn't get a good grip on the arrow with one hand to pull it out and his vision wavered. He could feel her blood in the wound and, _fuck that burns!_ He took a breath and held it as he brought both arms up to yank the arrow out of the wall and his shoulder. He screamed and fell to his knees when it gave way. Blood dripped down his arm and chest and pooled onto the floor. He tried to reach down and pull his stele out of his boot but his arms didn't have the energy to grab it and he knew even if he did get it there’d be no way for him to activate his runes . A harsh tug came from his chest before he sighed and tried to summon his phone to his hand. His fingers were going numb but he managed to call the last number in his call log before darkness took him.

_

 

“I don't know what happened. All I know is that when I got here there was blood everywhere and Alec was passed out on the floor.” A deep accented voice said. Alec groaned but sat up abruptly when he remembered what happened and noticed he was in his and Magnus’ bed. He felt a rush of air and then felt a gentle hand on his chest pushing him back down. “Woah, Lightwood. Take it easy.” The same voice he heard when he woke up said. 

 

“I'm ok, Raphael. Why are you here?” 

 

“You called me and when I didn't hear anything but labored breathing I ran over and found you passed out in a pool of blood. I called Isabelle and she and Jace came. I'll go get them for you.” He said and went to leave but as soon as he opened the door Izzy and Jace were there and pushed their way into the room. 

 

 

“Alec! What happened!? Are you okay? When Raphael called I almost had a heart attack!” Izzy said and pulled him into a tight hug. He winced and she immediately pulled back. Jace grabbed his hand and squeezed it before sitting on the edge of the bed. Raphael stood on the other side and watched the shadowhunters silently. Alec cleared his throat and swallowed painfully.

 

“When I got home earlier I knew something was wrong and when I went to investigate...Lilith was here. She wants Jonathan and used the arrow I had shot her with to pin me to the wall in the hallway. I managed to stab her after she tried to make confetti out of my chest and then she disappeared through a portal. I got the arrow out of the wall but couldn't lift my arms after to activate my iratze. I think I somehow called the last person I had talked to, which was Raphael. I called earlier before I left to see if he heard anything new.” He rattled off like he was giving a report. It was easier to separate himself from what had happened for now, a mindset he always slipped into when something went wrong. There would be time to deal with his emotions later. 

 

“Well, you aren't injured now...how did you manage that? I felt something weird through the bond but with everything that has happened lately, that’s not really anything new.” Jace said. Alec saw the slices in his shirt but the skin beneath was healed. His shoulder was tender but he could tell it was as well. 

 

“Magnus.” Alec croaked. His throat felt raw and dry and it was feeling worse and worse the more he talked. 

 

“Alec, buddy, I don't know if you remember or not but Magnus isn't here.” Jace said gently and then Alec realised that with everything that had been happening he never told them of the new development. He conjured a bottle of water, opened it, and took a drink before he remembered Raphael was in the room. The Vampires eyes widened and he shook his head in disbelief. 

 

 

“Shit.” Alec cursed under his breath before staring at Raphael. “Raphael, Magnus trusts you so I'm going to trust you with this. I know we had a bit of a rocky relationship at the start but I'd like to think I can consider you a friend now. You cannot tell anyone. Understand?” Raphael nodded and Alec told them everything. He started at the beginning for Raphael and when he got to the end they all stared at him. “What?” 

 

“Alec...that's seriously... _awesome_ . So he must have felt that you were hurt and healed you through the bond?” Jace asked. 

 

“Yeah, sounds about right.” Izzy grabbed him into a hug and squealed. 

 

“Hermano, that is amazing!” 

 

“ _Wait_ .” Raphael said and held up his hand. “So, you and Magnus put an unknown rune on each other and now you are connected and he can use your runes and you can use his magic? And feel when the other is hurt and heal each other?” Alec nodded. “You are both idiots!” The vampire yelled and started to pace. “What if something went wrong!? What if this is permanent? Do you realise what that could mean for you Alec? For both of you? If the Clave ever found out-" 

 

“They won't. No one knows outside our circle of friends. It was the only way we could tie him to here, to make sure he could come back. You can't tell me that if you were me that you wouldn't have done the same.” Raphael sighed heavily and plopped on the edge of the bed. 

 

“You are right but this could turn very bad for you both if you aren't careful.” 

 

“I know that. Why do you think I've been working so hard to learn how to control this?” He brought his hand up letting the magic flow over his fingers. 

 

“Isabelle, Jace, would you mind if I talked to Alec for a minute?” They looked to Alec and he nodded once, they left the room. Alec was taken aback when he looked at Raphael, the other man's face showed sadness. “ You know, if this is permanent that you are likely immortal now right? That you'll have to watch watch those two, age and die.” Alec sighed. He knew. 

 

 

 _“...we didn’t know what this rune would do but it seems it really did tie us together, which could mean that your immortal.I- I'm not going to lie and say that I never thought about it, about never having to lose you, but I would have never asked that of you. I didn't even know it was possible, other than turning you into a vampire, that is. Seeing the people you love age and die...it's horrible. Painful in ways I can't describe. I never wanted you to go through that.” Magnus said and looked at the floor. Alec tilted his boyfriends chin up and looked into his beautiful amber eyes._

 

 _“Hey...listen to me okay? If this means I get to stay with you then it's worth it. Will watching my family and friends die hurt? Of course it will. I- I can't even imagine it without wanting to curl up in a ball but if I have you, I'll be ok. You might have to put up with me being a moody asshole but as long as we are together we can get through anything right? Magnus, they aren't my only family. You are too and the thought of me dying and leaving you is just as painful. So if I am immortal now, we'll do this together.”_

 

 

“I know. It'll be hard. _Devastating_ . But the opposite would be too. Knowing that Magnus was immortal and that one day I'd leave him like others have was-” Alec ran a hand through his hair. “You know, before we truly got together, I brought it up to him, I couldn't stop thinking that my mortality would break him eventually. He told me that while he may be a warlock, even he couldn't see the future. I can't either. I know it'll be hard but if he's by my side I know I'll be able to get through anything.” Raphael stood and held his hand out to Alec who took it. 

 

“Thank you. You are very good for each other. Everyone sees it.” He said and released his hand.

 

“Magnus deserves the world. Will I mess up? Undoubtedly. But I try everyday to make sure he knows how loved he is. I'll do it the rest of forever if I have to. He doesn't see himself clearly because of his past, but I'll show him eventually.” 

 

“I'll go spread the word to keep an eye out for Lilith and fill Luke in about what happened with her tonight. I'm glad you are alright.” He paused at the door and turned slightly. “ Keeping you around forever wouldn't be terrible, I guess..” He said with a small smile and then vanished. 

 

 

Alec got out of bed and grabbed his stele, activating a few runes, and took a shower before joining his siblings in the living room. They needed to figure out what to do about Lilith until Magnus got back. 

 

“I sent a fire message to Idris to let them know Lilith is looking for Jonathan. Jace and Clary went to grab you some food since there's nothing here and I texted Catarina. They should be back soon.” Izzy told him when he walked into the room. 

 

“Good. We need to be careful. I really pissed her off when I sliced her open so we need to make sure patrols go out in multiples and that at least one of them is on portal duty. I don't want anyone engaging her so if they see her they need to portal out to safety. If it weren't for my connection to Magnus, tonight would have ended a lot differently for me.” She came over to him and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. He heard her sniffle and pulled her back slightly. “I'm ok, Iz. I'm here with you.” He told her and pulled her back against him tucking her head under his chin. He felt her nod and squeeze him tighter for a moment before she let go and they walked to the couch.

 

“Alec, what's wrong?” Izzy asked. Alec looked at her in question and she gestured to his chest. He hadn't realised it but he was rubbing his fingers over the rune there. Startled Alec pulled his hand away and shook his head. 

 

 

“I didn't even realise I was doing it.” He told her before frowning. She opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by Jace and Clary coming back. They ate quickly while they talked about what he wanted to do in regards to Lilith 

 

 _“Why can’t I just shoot her like I did with Azazel?” Alec had questioned Magnus._

 

 _“Because, unlike other greater demons, she won’t just disappear back to her realm and stay there. She's literally the mother of demons, the queen of everything evil. She’s powerful Alexander. She can be harmed but killing her would be…” His boyfriend shook his head. “She hasn’t shown us the extent of her power yet and we need to keep it that way. The most logical thing to do is banish her back to hell and make sure she can’t leave again.”_

 

After Jace, Isabelle, and Clary left Alec made his way back to the bedroom briefly stopping in the hall to clean up the dried blood on the floor. The hole and mess on the wall would have to wait until he had more energy. He fell back on the bed and stared blankly at the ceiling wishing Magnus was there with him. Ever since that night Valentine was killed, they hadn't been separated for more than twelve hours.

 

 

 _“I’m all for parties but what do you say we get out of here?” Magnus had asked the night that they had made up._

 

 _“Yeah- I’d like that.”_

 

 _They had walked to the loft in silence and as soon as they were through the door, Magnus turned to him._

 

 _“Alec, I know I told you not to apologize and I meant it but I need to tell you that I’m sorry as well. I...didn’t know what to do and I acted out of hurt and fear. I walked away from us and it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. I thought at the time that I had to do it. I understand why you did what you did now. I am still hurt over it but I walked away from us and betrayed your trust by going to the Seelie queen. I may not have lied to you but I was in the wrong as well. I want this...us...to work. Things aren’t going to magically be ok between us but I love you and am willing to do whatever I can to get us back to a good place again.” Alec walked closer to him and wrapped his arms around the other man._

 

 _“I love you too, and I want the same thing. You have been so patient with me, Magnus. I’m going to need you to be patient a little longer though. This is all new to me and I’m not sure what to do half the time but I’m trying. I’m still trying to figure out how to be a leader and a boyfriend. Two sides of myself were arguing about telling you about the soul sword and the soldier that blindly follows orders won. I slipped back into my old ways and followed them. After our dinner I realised that it was wrong and was going to tell you but then I listened to everyone else and after that had convinced myself that it was for the best, that it made sense to not tell you, because I would fix it. Make sure you and everyone would be safe. I thought I could save you the worry. I don’t know. I messed up big time. I get that now.”_

 

His phone ringing jolted him out of his dozing and he reached for it. 

 

“Lightwood.” 

 

“Alec, how are you feeling? Isabelle filled me in earlier and I wanted to call and check up on you.” 

 

“Exhausted and sore but I'm alright, Cat.” 

 

“Good. Look….I know this probably isn't the best way for me to tell you this but I tried earlier and then was so exhausted before I left I forgot but...Alec, I got the results back from my friend.” She told him and he held his breath. 

 

 _“Alec, I asked Cat to come over in a little bit. I want her to take some blood from you.”_

 

 

“And?” He prompted when she stayed silent. 

 

“Well...I'm not sure if congratulations are in order or not but...if this rune is permanent, you have a very long life ahead of yourself, Alec.” She said quietly. Alec’s breath was forced from his lungs and he drew it back in roughly as her words settled into his mind. 

 

“I- Thank you, Cat. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.” He said to her before they said their goodbyes. 

 

Alec was over the moon and terrified at the same time. He wanted so badly to stay by Magnus’ side but he also feared the unknown and not only that, one thought came thundering through his mind and his jaw clenched. _The Clave._ If he was indeed immortal now, what would happen when someone finally noticed? What repercussions would there be? The Angel had given this rune to them but Alec knew just telling them that wouldn't be enough for the Clave and that while things were changing, there were too many who believed in the old ways on the council. He also knew something like this would be seen as a betrayal to his own kind by them. There were many in Idris that were still trying to get him striped of his runes for being gay and for being with a downworlder. This would only add fuel to the fire. He sighed and scrubbed his hand over his face. 

 

The loft suddenly started to violently shake bringing Alec out of his heavy thoughts. He jumped up from the bed and grabbed his seraph blade before running from the room. The living room was bathed in red and heat blasted through the room. A violent tug from his chest made him stumble forward towards the ritual room. The red light pulsed and a portal opened in the center of the room, screams and shrieks filling his ears once again. Time stood still as Alec felt another tug and then he watched as Magnus stumbled from the Portal. Alec didn’t have time to look over his boyfriend though as a dragondae demon flew through the portal and directly at him. He threw up a shield just before it made contact and sent them both flying in opposite directions. Alec scrambled to his feet and rushed the demon, slashing at it. A ball of fire came from behind him and made the demon break into smaller ones. He summoned his bow and used the one spell could probably do in his sleep with how often he used it and shot. He watched as the arrow flew through the room hitting each demon before it finally fell to the ground. 

 

His bow dropped to the ground with a loud thud and he turned to see Magnus, looking exhausted, and covered in icor and other unidentifiable substances but he was there. _Right there_ in front of him and he quickly closed the space between them. Grabbing the older man by the lapels of his jacket and smashing their lips together in a frantic kiss. Magnus kissed back just as fiercely before chuckling against Alecs lips and pulling away. Alec’s hand came up to softly cup the others cheek, thumb brushing against the skin under those beautiful cat eyes that had haunted his every thought. The rush of emotions that were both his and Magnus’ surged through the bond and the impact of finally feeling them and finally being together left them both breathless. 

 

 

It had been 12 days. 288 hours. 17,296 minutes since the last time Alec had seen Magnus. And for just a little bit, everything was right in his world again. The fight was far from over but with Magnus by his side he knew that they would get through it. They could get through anything, together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I needed some Raphael/ alec bonding in my life and also Catarine/ Alec...I just did ok? I feel like this took me longer to format this chapter for this site than it did for me to write this! Hopefully I get used to it soon haha. Anyway, thanks for reading, lovelies! Leave a comment if you have any questions or just want to say hi :) Hope you enjoyed! Later dayz!


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